Cafetalk Tutor's Column

Where did the word "Halloween" come from?

A long time ago, “Halloween” was spelled “All Hallows’ Even.” The word “even” meant “evening.” Late...

Welcome from beautiful Egypt :)

Hello, my name is Ayesha and I am a tutor from Capetown, South Africa. I am currently living in Egy...

How Everyday English Transforms Adult Learners.

As an experienced ESL teacher, university graduate, and mentor to aspiring educators, I’ve had the...

British Culture ~ Holidays and Festivals: Bonfire Night

"Remember, remember, the 5th of November".Hello! I hope everyone is doing well and making progress ...

Santa, Will I Achieve My Goals? With Micro-Goals, You Can Do It!

In January, many of us made New Year's resolutions.  We may have had big plans to learn a language ...

One Thing I Look Forward to at the End of This Year

As the year draws to a close, I look forward to seeing how much my students have grown — not just i...

One Thing I Look Forward To at the End of This Year

As the year slowly comes to an end, I find myself reflecting on everything that has happened — the ...

My First Christmas in Australia

My First Christmas in Australia! ?? Hello everyone! This year will be my first Christmas in Austral...

One thing I look forward to at the end of this year

As the year comes to an end, I’m really looking forward to slowing down a little, reflecting on my ...

Why You Shouldn’t Wait to Be Perfect Before Speaking

Today, I wanted to share a quick thought about language learning. Many students believe they need t...

One Thing I’m Looking Forward to at the End of This Year

As 2025 comes to a close, I find myself reflecting on how much growth, laughter, and learning have ...

5 Everyday Topics We Can Practice Together

One of the best ways to improve your English is by talking about real-life topics that you already ...

Confidence in Communication with Tone, Coherence and Expression

When learning English, it is natural to immediately focus on grammar and vocabulary. These are impo...

The Big Five Insights: Your Guide to Personality Types

Explore the Big Five personality traits—Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, a...

Christmas and holiday season

Christmas is something that many people in Britain look forward to. On the day itself you can get t...

Yoga and Meditation: The Vocabulary of Focus

One of my students, in her request for my Vocabulary Snapshot class, asked to focus on Health and F...

The ''I Cook for a Family'' Diet Plan (No More Separate Meals!)

I used to believe that being healthy meant I had to be a short-order cook. I’d make a "healthy" mea...

Ever Dreamed of Visiting Africa? Explore South Africa in 30 Minutes

Let me take you on a whirlwind journey through my beautiful country, South Africa! From golden beac...

WINTER LIGHTS AND HOLIDAY CHEERS!

Step into the magic of Winter as we explore dazzling lights, joyful celebrations, and holiday tradi...

Behind the Smiles: The Silent Battles We Don’t See.

Every day, countless people wear smiles that hide their pain. They laugh, they work, they listen  y...

The Small Joys of Year’s End - English Reading Comprehension - 3 Versions (A1/A2, B1/B2, C1+)

A1/A2 VERSIONNow that Halloween is over and we are in the last two months of the year, many people ...

Thank You for Making My First 10 Lessons Special!

When I started teaching on Cafetalk, I wasn’t sure what to expect — but my first 10 lessons turned...

The R/L Sound Mystery Solved: A Scientific Approach for Japanese Speakers

Introduction Have you ever said "rice" but people heard "lice"? Or maybe you said "light" and...

The Secret Life of Your Tutor - How My Voice Over Career Improves Your ESL

Giving Your Voice Power: What My Other Job Teaches Me About Tutoring Hello everyone! Thanks for tak...

Explore the Big Five personality traits

Explore the Big Five personality traits—Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, a...